Highway robber slain in Marikina

A jeepney robber was shot dead in an alleged shootout with Marikina City policemen Thursday, while five of his companions were arrested during follow-up operations.

At least 60 complainants trooped to the Marikina City police headquarters yesterday and positively identified the suspects as behind jeepney robbery cases not only in the city but also in neighboring towns and cities, said Chief Superintendent George Aliño, Eastern Police District (EPD) director.

Aliño identified the slain robber as Roberto Barredo, of Mais street in Tumana, barangay Concepcion, Marikina City.

Those arrested were Roberto Cariño, 30; Michael Garcia, 27, and Jojo Muza, all neighbors of Barredo; Cesar Dumundun, 40, of nearby Singkamas street, and August Dayrit, 20 of Sunflower street, barangay Modesta, San Mateo, Rizal.

Jennalyn Rustia, 27, of Tayuman, Binangonan town said the six robbers boarded the passenger jeep they were in at the terminal in Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City at about 9:45 p.m. Thursday. Upon reaching Marcos Highway in barangay Barangka, one of the suspects ordered the driver to stop the vehicle at a street corner, dubbed by police as a hold-up prone area.

One of the suspects, who was armed with a caliber .38 revolver approached the driver and announced the heist. The robbers started divesting passengers of their jewelry, wallets, cell phones, cash and bags.

But the alert jeepney driver sounded the vehicle’s horn, attracting the attention of policemen, said Aliño. A brief chase ensued and Barredo chose to shoot it out when cornered near a squatters area at the UBB, in barangay Barangka. He was hit twice in the abdomen. He yielded a caliber .38 revolver with five spent shells. Garcia and Dayrit were turned over to the police by angry barangay tanods and bystanders who allegedly mauled them. Confiscated from them were two bladed weapons.

At about 4 a.m. yesterday, Cariño and Dumundun were found hiding in an abandoned house near the encounter site. They surrendered peacefully and led police to barangay Concepcion were Muza was arrested at 1:10 p.m. yesterday. – Non Alquitran